The character 调 — “adjust”: how to write it and what it means
adjust, tune
The Chinese character 调 is read tiáo and means “adjust, tune”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 调
调 has 10 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 调, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 调 is made of
On the left, 讠 “speech”. Its second reading is diào, “tone, melody”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 调
- 空调air conditionerHSK 3
- 调查investigate; surveyHSK 4
- 调皮naughty, mischievousHSK 5
- 强调emphasizeHSK 5
- 调整adjustHSK 5
- 调研research, investigate (on site)HSK 5
- 调动transfer (job); mobilize, arouseHSK 6
- 协调coordinate; harmoniousHSK 6
- 声调tone (in Chinese)HSK 6
- 单调monotonous, dullHSK 6
- 调节regulate (temperature, pace)HSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 调?
调 has 10 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 调 mean?
调 means “adjust, tune”. It appears in 空调 (“air conditioner”), 调查 (“investigate”), 调皮 (“naughty”), 强调 (“emphasize”).
How do you pronounce 调?
调 is read tiáo. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 调 have?
10 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 调 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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